Kevin Durant became the eighth man in NBA history to score 30,000 points as the Phoenix Suns lost to the Memphis Grizzlies last night.
Durant joined the illustrious group after hitting a free throw late in the third quarter but could not prevent the Grizzlies from easing to a 119-112 victory.
The 36-year-old joins LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki and Wilt Chamberlain in reaching the mark after spells with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and the Suns.
Durant said: “A true honor to be in the same category as those players who helped shaped the game and push the game forward.
“That’s always been my goal, to get the most out of myself every day, and the most out of my career.”
The legacy of Kevin Durant continues.
▪️ 30K Career Points
▪️ 15x All-Star
▪️ 11x All-NBA
▪️ 4x Olympic Gold Medalist
▪️ 2014 NBA MVP
▪️ 2x NBA Champion
▪️ 2x NBA Finals MVP
▪️ 2x All-Star Game MVP
▪️ 4x Scoring Champ
▪️ 2008 ROTY pic.twitter.com/CrIU1ziri1— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 12, 2025
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‘The most incredible shotmaker’
Suns coach Mike Budenholzer led the tributes afterwards. He said: “He’s probably one of the most incredible shotmakers I’ve ever been around.
“And I’ve gone against him a lot of nights, too. So, it’s nice to be on his side. The way he can rise up and shoot over people – his height, his ball handling. If he’s not the most incredible shotmaker, I’m not sure who is.”
Grizzlies guard Ja Morant agreed, telling TNT: “He’s one of the greats. Everybody don’t get 30K in this league. So, hats off to him. And I hope he keeps going. We want to see him out here.”
Most points in NBA history
- LeBron James – 41,623
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 38,387
- Karl Malone – 36,928
- Kobe Bryant – 33,643
- Michael Jordan – 32,292
- Dirk Nowitzki – 31,560
- Wilt Chamberlain – 31,419
- Kevin Durant – 30,008
